Class Rosters are Here
Class sign up link is here
Class signups will begin Friday, June 2nd until the minute before classes start at SSK. I will add a google form link to this page on June 2nd for people to fill out. We will do our best to let you know what class(es) you will have by June 15th. Class rosters are posted in the SSK group on Ravelry by time slot.If you have questions about anything to do with classes, please email or pm Laura and she will help you.
Hint: If you use the thread text search feature for your ravelry name, it makes it easy to find your classes.
How signups work:
Your SSK fee includes one class at no additional cost from one of our amazing teachers. We will ask that you choose your top three classes, and we will do our best to accommodate your request based on demand/class size. I try to have everyone’s selections in before I assign classes. In the past 3 years, every single person who was attending SSK at the time of class signups was able to get their first choice class. That’s something I am hopeful will happen again this year.
Additional classes may be available for an extra $40 per class cost. If you decide that you would like to add a class at anytime, just let Laura know via email and she will do our best to make that happen.
A special note about spinning classes: If you would like to take a spinning class and are unable to bring a wheel with you, we will have 4-5 wheels available for rental. We ask that you let us know on the class form because that may affect which session of class you will be able to take. If you can only use or prefer a specific wheel, please let Laura know.
Ann Budd
Reading Your Knitting
Most knitters run into problems when they aren’t able to “read their knitting”—that is, they can’t recognize where they are in a pattern by simply looking at the stitches on the needles or in the fabric below the needles. How do you tell where you are when you’ve put your knitting down in the middle of row? Can you tell how many rows you’ve knitted since the last increase, or decrease? How do you know what type of increase or decrease was worked? In this class, we’ll knit a swatch (or two) and examine how the basic stitches look in a piece of knitting and how those stitches are represented in charts.
ADVANCED-BEGINNER KNITTING SKILLS REQUIRED; MUST KNOW HOW TO CAST-ON, BIND-OFF, KNIT, PURL, INCREASE, AND DECREASE.
Materials: One partial ball of your choice of yarn (tightly twisted worsted-weight wool or wool blend recommended); knitting needles in a size appropriate for your yarn; cable needle (optional); crochet hook.
Cutting and Finishing Steeks
Homework required; $1 materials fee for zipper
In this workshop you’ll learn how to add a steek to a simple stranded two-color pattern that’s knitted in the round. You’ll knit a small two-color coffee clutch with steek stitches for homework. In class, you’ll stabilize the stitches with slipstitch crochet, cut the tube, and finish the raw edges with a zipper or button band, or simply secure the cut edges (as for an armhole.
ADVANCED-BEGINNER KNITTING SKILLS REQUIRED; MUST BE COMFORTABLE WORKING ON DOUBLE-POINTED NEEDLES, WORKING SLIP-STITCH CROCHET, AND SEWING WITH THREAD AND A NEEDLE.
Materials: Worsted-weight wool yarn in two colors (you’ll use just part of each ball; avoid very dark colors if possible); a set of U.S. sizes 7 and 8 (4.5 and 5 mm) double-pointed needles (two circulars or the “magic loop” method may be substituted); size G/6 crochet hook; tapestry needle; sharp-point sewing needle and sewing thread to match one of the yarn colors. Please bring your yarn and knitting needles to class along with your homework.
Homework:
Step 1. With size 7 needles and the color of your choice (we’ll call this the main color; MC), cast on 55 stitches. The first 48 stitches will form the cozy; the remaining 7 stitches will form the steek.
Arrange stitches for working in rounds and join, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Step 2. K4, place marker to denote end of steek stitches, work in k1, p1 rib to last 3 stitches, place another marker to denote the beginning of the steek stitches, knit to end. Rounds begin in center of 7 steek stitches (note that the steek stitches are all worked as knit stitches).
Step 3. Working the first 4 and last 3 (steek) stitches in stockinette (knit every round), work remaining 48 stitches in k1, p1 rib as established for 3 more rounds—4 rounds total.
Step 4. Join contrasting color (CC) and work the 7 steek stitches in vertical stripes and the remaining 48 stitches in checkerboard pattern as follows (you can omit the colorwork pattern if you wish):
Rounds 1 and 2: [K1 with CC, k1 with MC] 2 times, *k2 with MC, k2 with CC; repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k1 with MC, k1 with CC, k1 with MC.
Rounds 3 and 4: [K1 with CC, k1 with MC] 2 times, *k2 with CC, k2 with MC; repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k1 with MC, k1 with CC, k1 with MC.
Repeat Rnds 1–4 until piece measures about 1¾” from CO.
Step 5. Change to size 8 needles and cont in patt as established until piece measures about 3¾” from CO, ending with Rnd 2 or 4 of pattern.
Step 6. Cut off CC. With MC, knit 1 round across all stitches.
Step 7. Working the first 4 and last 3 (steek) stitches in stockinette as before, work remaining stitches in k1, p1 rib as established for 3 rounds—3 rounds of rib total.
Step 8. Bind off all stitches in rib pattern. Weave in ends away from the 7 steek stitches.
Intarsia in the Round
Intarsia, or color-block, patterns are not limited to knitting back and forth in rows. In this class, you’ll learn how to knit color-block motifs such as argyle patterns in the round (for socks and hats, for example) according to the “Annetarsia” technique developed by Anne Berk. Following the technique used for her Harlequin socks in New Directions in Sock Knitting, you’ll knit a sample that will prepare you for knitting any intarsia pattern in the round.
INTERMEDIATE KNITTING SKILLS REQUIRED; MUST BE COMFORTABLE WORKING ON DOUBLE-POINTED NEEDLES (OR A SUITABLE SUBSTITUTE) AND MUST BE COMFORTABLE READING CHARTS.
Materials: Worsted-weight yarn in three colors—one main color and two accent colors (you’ll use just a bit of each color); a set of U.S. size 7 or 8 (5.5 or 5 mm) double-pointed needles (two circulars or the “magic loop” method can be substituted); marker; tapestry needle.
Jillian Moreno
All of Jillian’s students should bring a wheel is good working order, at least three bobbins,
a lazy kate, a niddy noddy, tags to mark samples and pen and paper to take notes. We do have rental wheels available if needed.
Batts in the Belfry: Spinning Batts
* $50 materials fee (Students get 7 batts, custom made for our class to spin.
Enough for class and to practice at home.)
Rolled up and twinkling like the most exquisite gifts, batts are unpredictable, mysterious and so beautiful.
Puffy or even, stripes or solid , smooth or bursting with texture batts are irresistible to buy, but can be a curiosity to spin. In this class you will spin batts and only batts. You’ll put your hands and wheels to several kinds of batts that vary in texture and color presentation. You will learn about four different kinds of batts and what you can spin from them.
You’ll learn how to:
• control color flow in a batt.
• spin with or against a batt’s inclination.
• control texture in a batt.- spin for lofty, smooth or wild yarn.
We’ll even talk about buying batts –sometimes what you see isn’t what you get. You will leave this class batt-happy and ready to conquer any batt that strikes your fancy.
Kaleidoscope Spinning– Color and Singles
* $25 materials fee
Think you are out of luck with playing with color and spinning singles? Think again!
In this class we’ll do nothing but experiment with color and singles. We’ll mix and blend at the wheel. We’ll make variegated, gradient and marled yarn just as our first step. We’ll combine colors and naturals. We’ll make a fractal singles and find out what happens when we combine all of the different color play methods into a yarn for a kaleidoscope of color.
You’ll get to see lots of samples of these special singles knitted and even some woven samples.
These singles yarns are gorgeous with all of their color fun, but once they are knit or woven, they are magic.
Fractal Frolic: Exploring Fractal Spinning
Almost every spinner has tried fractal spinning with variegated fiber, but do you do it the same way every time? Fractal spinning for knitting has endless possibilities!
What happens when you change the size of your fiber or use fiber dyed in different patterns?
Fractal spinning hand dyed fiber creates striping patterns that are beautifully complex, compared to a matching ply. Fractals are simply different sizes of the same pattern, in our case a line or stripe. In this class we’ll work with hand dyed top to explore fractal color patterns.
We’ll start class by making a matching 2-ply yarn. Then we’ll divide and combining different color lengths to create fractally plied yarns that are intricately striped.
We’ll explore the effect of fractal plying on different styles of dyeing too. What see what happens with gradient and randomly dyed fibers. Before we’re done we’ll play with plies to see what happens when working with more than 2 plies and a textured ply or two. We’ll see what happens with our fractals when we change the size of our yarn.
Fractal spinning comes alive when it’s knit so we’ll look at knitted samples to see the unique explosion of color that fractals create.
This class moves at a fast pace, so come ready to spin!
Twist and Ply: The Difference Ply and Twist Direction Make to Your Knitting
* $20 materials fee
Have you ever knit with your handspun and something just wasn’t right? Maybe your cables were floppy or your lace wasn’t open enough? The answer may lie in your chosen ply. The answer may also lie in the direction of twist and your style of knitting, or a combination of both. In this class, we’ll spin and knit while exploring the effect ply and have on knitted fabric.
Together we’ll answer these questions:
- *What makes cables pop?
- *How to ply for open lace
- What about singles for knitting?
- What is chain plying good for?
- Why use more than 2 plies?
- Does the way I knit add more twist to my knitting or do I lose twist?
- How do I compensate for twist loss or gain in yarn?
We’ll also discuss the effects fiber breeds and blends, preparation, and woolen and worsted drafting can have on plying.
Lee Meredith
There is no homework for any of Lee’s classes.
No Pattern Hat Knitting
Learn the basic construction concepts and techniques needed to make three different types of hats, all custom fit to your head, and made according to your style preferences, in any gauge. You’ll learn how to make hats: from the tops down, measuring for fit as you go; from the bottoms up, starting with sideways-knit brims fit to your head; and completely sideways, using short rows to shape the crowns. All of these basic hat-knitting styles can be used as blank canvases onto which you can try out your own stitch pattern ideas, colorwork, etc – or use special yarns to make the most simple versions, letting the yarns be the focus of your custom-knit hats.
Materials Needed: Yarn in a weight you are comfortable with, and needles sized to match—if you know the magic loop method, then bring a long circular needle, if you do not use that method, then bring a set of double pointed needles and either a pair of straight needles or a circular of any length (which will be used to knit flat)—you may want to have a few different yarn weights and needle sizes; a crochet hook approximately sized for your yarn weight, a blunt yarn needle, and measuring tape.
Sideways Edge Cast-On and Bind-Off
Note: Students should not take both the sideways edge cast-on class and the modular shawl class since there is a strong overlap.
Learn how to knit a sideways edging while casting on stitches along the edge at the same time, avoiding the need to pick up stitches or sew seams later. This technique is done with increases and short rows and, once understood, can be integrated into patterns which call for picking up many stitches along an edge – perfect for hats with sideways brims or socks, mitts, and sweaters with sideways cuffs. Then learn the reverse, adding a knitted on sideways edge to a piece while binding off the stitches at the same time.
Materials Needed: yarn in a weight you are comfortable with, and a circular needle sized to match, at least 24 inches long; a stitch marker.
Making a Triyang Modular Shawl
- $10 materials fee, this gets students a high-quality print booklet of Triyang and the download code for the whole Triyang collection (4 more patterns).
Note: Students should not take both the sideways edge cast-on class and the modular shawl class since there is a strong overlap.
During this class, you’ll knit a mini version of the Triyang shawl pattern, learning all the techniques used in each section, and grasping how it all works and comes together, so that you can go on to knit your own full-size versions. You’ll learn the sideways-edge cast-on method used in the first section, German short rows used in the second section, the sideways-edge bind-off (which is like a knitted-on edging) used in the third section, and reading your knitting.
Materials needed: yarn in a weight you are comfortable with, and a circular needle sized to match, at least 24 inches long; a stitch marker.
Margaret Radcliffe
Finishing Techniques for Handknitters
Learn to complete your knits like the pros. What do you need to decide about finishing before you cast on? When should you bind off, and when can other techniques be used? How can you shape your garment to make finishing easier? What’s the best way to join shoulders and sew side seams? How can you pick up stitches and make professional looking borders? This fast paced class is designed to cover all these aspects of finishing and more.
Homework:
Using a plain worsted weight yarn and needles appropriate for the yarn (about size 7), make the following swatches. Note that the swatches do not all need to be the same color, but the yarn should all be the same weight.
Swatch #1
Make 5 of these
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Cast on 20 sts.
Work in stockinette for 20 rows.
Place stitches on a holder or piece of scrap yarn.
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Swatch #2
Make 2 of these
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Cast on 21 sts.
Row 1 (mark this as RIGHT SIDE): K1, *P1, K1* repeat between * across row.
Row 2: P1, *K1, P1* repeat between * across row.
Repeat until ribbing is 2” long.
On next row (right side), increase 1 st at center (22 sts).
Work in stockinette for 3”, ending with a purl row.
Next right side row: K2, *P2, K2* repeat between * across row.
Wrong side: P2, *K2, P2* repeat between * across row.
Repeat these two rows until ribbing is 2” long.
Bind off.
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Swatch #3
Make 1 of these
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Cast on 20 sts.
Work in stockinette for 20 rows. Bind off.
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Supplies: Homework swatches, a set of dp needles in the size used to knit swatches, ball of worsted weight yarn, tapestry or yarn needle.
Fitting Your Knitting
Improve garment fit by using short rows to add bust darts and shoulder shaping. Students will knit a swatch with a bust dart in it, learning to measure, design, and knit the dart. Students will also measure, and calculate, and knit shoulder shaping, and will learn the technique of binding off together (3-needle bind off) to join the shoulder seam.
Homework: Using worsted weight yarn and appropriate needles (about size 7), cast on 40 sts and work even in stockinette for 3″ (7.5 cm). Cut the yarn leaving a tail of about 6” (15 cm). Place stitches on holder. Work a second swatch identical to the first, but only 2″ (5 cm) long, and leave the stitches on the needle.
Supplies: 2 oz worsted weight yarn (the same used to knit the homework swatches); the same needles used to knit the swatches; tape measure; calculator. Recommended: yard stick.
Two-handed Two-color Knitting
– Learn this fast, time-honored method of knitting color patterns without having to drop each color and pick up the next. Students will practice both the Continental and English methods of knitting, allowing them to hold two colors of yarn simultaneously.
Pre-class Preparation: Using worsted weight yarn and size 7 or 8 US needles, cast on 60 stitches. Divide stitches between needles as needed for the type you are using and join into a round being careful not to twist knitting. Work even in K1 P1 ribbing for 1″. Work even in stockinette for 1″. Do not bind off.
Supplies Students Should Bring: Homework; yarn and needles used for homework; a second ball of worsted weight yarn in a contrasting color); scissors; yarn needle.
Bring out the Best in your Variegated Yarn
Description: Love that multicolor yarn? Hate the way it looks when you knit it? Whip those handpainted and variegated yarns into submission! Learn to bring out the best in your variegated yarn, how to avoid stripes, highlight desired colors, and emphasize texture. Review a variety of yarns and learn their properties, while knitting swatches to experiment with textured pattern stitches, multiple strands of yarn, and varying stitch counts. Also learn how to recognize which garments will work best with variegated yarn.
Pre-class Preparation: Using a worsted weight variegated yarn where each color is between 1” and 9” long, cast on 20 stitches. Work in stockinette until the colors seem to repeat somewhat regularly in your swatch. Increase or decrease a stitch or two and continue knitting until the colors begin to repeat again. Do this one more time. If your yarn doesn’t repeat, don’t despair, just work at least 5” TOTAL and then stop. Don’t bind off. Bring your swatch to class.
Supplies: Worsted weight variegated yarn and a matching or contrasting solid yarn for swatching. Needles in a size appropriate for this yarn; a circular needle or set of dp needles in the same size; needles 2 and 4 sizes larger.
